Antisemitic violence in St Johns Wood

Tony Devenish: Will you add your voice to raise awareness for witnesses to catch the vile cowards who targeted an elderly man and young boys with antisemitic violence and abuse in St Johns Wood on Saturday 4th May?
https://antisemitism.uk/witnesses-sought-over-antisemitic-violence-and-v...

The Mayor: As Mayor of the most diverse city in the world, I am deeply troubled by news of this heinous attack against innocent Londoners purely because of their religious identity. I have made tackling hate crime a priority in both my manifesto and Police and Crime Plan, and I greatly value the ongoing work we do with the Jewish communities and organisations representing them in London to address and support victims of anti-Semitism in London.
Both I and the Commissioner have been very clear that all reports of hate crime in London must be thoroughly investigated with a view to bringing offenders to justice. Our diversity is our greatest asset, and we must address all attempts to divide and threaten our communities and ensure that London is no place for hate.

PRU crime

Shaun Bailey: For each of the years July 16 to June 17, July 17 to June 18 and July 18 to June 19, how many crimes have been committed at pupil referral units, broken down by crime type?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has 420 officers dedicated to working with young people including Schools Officers, Youth Engagement Officers, and Volunteer Police Cadet Coordinators. The MPS works closely with educational facilities to ensure that every child and young person is safe in their place of learning.
In the MPS’s recording system there is no way to record that a school/college is a Pupil Referral Unit and as such we are unable to extract data from the system unless individual premises are specified.

TfL Sick Leave

Keith Prince: Giving a yearly breakdown since 2015/16, please outline how many days of sick leave TfL staff have taken. Please also provide a breakdown of the reasons given for sick leave being taken.

The Mayor: The tables shown provide the top five reasons for sickness absence at Transport for London(TfL) for each performance year requested, along with the total days lost to sickness absence.
Sustaining and improving the health and wellbeing of TfL’s workforce is critical to delivering its Business Plan.
TfL is developing a comprehensive Health & Wellbeing strategy to address the recent increases in days lost to sickness absence, in particular mental wellbeing.

Police Officers lost since 2010 in Newham

Unmesh Desai: How many police officers has the London Borough of Newham lost since 2010?

The Mayor: Please see Mayor's Question 2019/14504.

Hate crime perpetrators

Unmesh Desai: MOPAC’s Hate Crime Dashboard helpfully lists the proportion of hate crime perpetrators across the MPS. In 2018, how many hate crimes on the Hate Crime Dashboard were
committed by people outside of London


had no location recorded and


offences carried out online

The Mayor: Please see the below table in response to the requested data, for the period requested.
Home Intel Unit of Accused*
Accused Count
MPS
1,709
OTHER FORCE
126
Approx. 7 per cent of Accused are recorded with a home address outside the MPS boundary. There were no blank/empty/not recorded entries for this data set.
*The Home Intel Unit recorded for an accused was used to determine whether the accused home address was in the MPS (one of the 32 x Boroughs) or Outside the MPS recorded as Other Force.

Police Officers lost since 2010 in Tower Hamlets

Unmesh Desai: How many police officers has the London Borough of Tower Hamlets lost since 2010?

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of officers in each borough on 31 March in each of the last 10 years.
No data is available for Barking & Dagenham in March 2018 as it joined with Redbridge and Havering to form the East Basic Command Unit (BCU) in late 2017.
Police officers
31 March data
Tower Hamlets
Newham
Barking & Dagenham
2009
745
765
422
2010
821
816
446
2011
784
797
441
2012
754
820
466
2013
694
760
437
2014
650
775
453
2015
688
803
503
2016
669
775
485
2017
629
725
429
2018
604
671
N/A
Note that it is notoriously difficult to accurately compare borough officer strength over the years. This is because the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) changes and adapts its resource model according to its needs.
Units are restructured or amalgamated – officers may be counted in central figures even though they deliver a service locally to one specific borough.
Note also that as of early 2019 all boroughs have transitioned to the BCU model and it is no longer possible to determine individual borough officer strength – they are shared across the BCU they belong to.

Capco (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: Following the Sunday Times business section report on the 7th July 2019 titled ‘London mayor bids for Earls Court site’ please set out whether to your knowledge all councillors on both Kensington and Chelsea Council and Hammersmith and Fulham Council have been updated and fully briefed on this unsuccessful offer.

The Mayor: I met with Stephen Cowan, the leader of Hammersmith and Fulham, on 17 July. Following this meeting I issued a public statement, underlining how keen we are to see progress on this important site and for development to deliver new affordable homes that Londoners need.
We will make sure that any proposals that are submitted will be shared with the appropriate stakeholders and elected representatives.

Uber Eats

David Kurten: It has been reported that that Uber Eats are operating out of Uber's office in Aldgate. Can the Mayor confirm whether or not Uber Britannia is also operating from the same Aldgate office and state whether this would be a breach of section 2.1 of the 1998 Private Hire Act?

The Mayor: Uber London Limited is a London licensed private hire operator and accepts bookings at its licensed operating centre in accordance with the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998.
Not all private hire operators run their business from a premises used solely for the purpose of providing a private hire service. Operators may apply to be licensed in premises that is shared with another business, whether their own or that of a third party. Guidance on Transport for London’s (TfL’s) website (www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/private-hire-operator-licence) states that it will consider applications where premises are shared on a case-by-case basis.
Where premises are shared, consideration is given to the type of service being offered, whether public access is required and whether each service is clearly separable within the layout of the property.

Police demands for phone data from victims of sexual violence

Sian Berry: In April 2019, the new police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) policy demanding access to the entire contents of the mobile phones of victims of sexual violence was brought in, telling victims that cases won't continue unless they consent to handing over this data. Following a national outcry, the police and CPS promised to meet with stakeholders to discuss urgent reform, but have now cancelled the meeting at the last minute. Is the Metropolitan Police Service taking any steps to prevent the disproportionate and excessive intrusion into victims' digital lives, and to protect them from these invasive downloads?

The Mayor: The MPS position, supported by a Court of Appeal decision (RvE 2018), is that examining a victim’s phone is not automatically a ‘reasonable line of enquiry’, and any request to examine a victim’s phone will be based on specific circumstances.
Investigators are guided by the judgement of the courts on what constitutes a ‘reasonable line of enquiry’ to strike a balance between a defendant’s right to a fair trial and preventing unnecessary intrusion into the privacy of the victim. We are committed to supporting victims of crime, and believe that honest communication throughout the process is vital to maintaining victims’ trust.Informed consent is an important part of this process.
In October 2018, my Victims’ Commissioner called upon the ICO to investigate the practice of gaining consent for disclosure in such offences. The findings will be taken forward in London and further recommendations made to the National Victims Commissioner.

Investigation of Aggravated and Motivated Hate Crime

Unmesh Desai: What is the difference between an aggravated and a motivated hate crime?

The Mayor: The Crime and Disorder act 1988 identifies a number of offences which if motivated by hostility, or where the offender demonstrates hostility, can be treated as racially or religiously aggravated. These offences are assaults, criminal damage, public order offences and harassment.
More recently the criminal justice act in 2003 now allows courts to consider racial or religious hostility, or hostility towards sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity as an aggravating factor when deciding on the sentence for any offence except those described above.

Human rights compliance and live facial recognition trials

Sian Berry: How was human rights compliance ensured by the Metropolitan Police Service through the live facial recognition trials process, and what consultations or assessments were done in this regard, and by whom?

The Mayor: The MPS addressed the principles of Proportionality, Legality, Accountability and Necessity to ensure compliance with Human Rights Act 1998 legislation in the conduct of its trial of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) paying particular attention to Article 8: the right to respect for private and family life. The MPS also ensured there were safeguards in place to protect the privacy of those who were not subjects of the operation.
A Privacy Impact Assessment was written in 2016 prior to the first pilot. Following recommendations in the interim report of the London Policing Ethics Panel, the MPS Legal Mandate and Data Protection Impact Assessment for the use of Live Facial Recognition was published on the MPS Live Facial Recognition Trial website (https://www.met.police.uk/live-facial-recognition-trial/). This mandate outlined the legal position of the MPS for the use and deployment of Live Facial Recognition technology as an overt policing tactic during the trials.

Community Assessors

David Kurten: Are the Metropolitan Police employing Lutfur Ali, a known Islamist who allegedly channelled money to the Islamic Forum of Europe1, as a Community Assessor?
1https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9874695/The-state-versus-the-whistleblower.html

The Mayor: Community assessors are a valuable part of police officer recruitment.They are subject to vetting procedures to ensure their suitability for the role.The MPS cannot discuss specific individuals.

Knives on social media (1)

Florence Eshalomi: Does the Mayor support the posting of images of knives by the Met on social media?

The Mayor: This is an issue which is currently being considered by the Metropolitan Police Service Management Board and the Violent Crime Task Force, and the Met are seeking advice from a range of sources to develop their understanding in this area.
Following extensive engagement with London communities, the London VRU will also be conducting research into the issue.

Knives on social media (2)

Florence Eshalomi: Following a question I put during a recent Police and Crime Committee meeting to the Deputy Commissioner on the use of Twitter by the Met and their decisions to post images of knives, and again in a response to a letter on the same issue, the Met said they would look into whether there is evidence to support the posting of these images. The Violence Reduction Unit in Scotland have advocated against the posting of these images by police and have said it is counter-productive. Can you tell me whether the Met have investigated this following my letter and what they have found?

The Mayor: This is an issue which is currently being considered by the Metropolitan Police Service Management Board and the Violent Crime Task Force. The Met are seeking advice from a range of sources to develop their understanding in this area.

Measuring Safety Performance in TfL’s Bus Operation

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your response to Question 2019/12005 you stated: "The London bus safety dashboard over the last four quarters shows an overall improvement in bus safety performance, so it is not true to state there has been a decline in bus safety performance.” However analysis of TfL’s own published bus safety data on its website shows that, in calendar 2018, for each quarter in succession, the number of fatal collisions increased as did the total number of safety-related fatalities. Does TfL have a different measure for assessing the safety of its bus operation?

The Mayor: Yes. Transport for London (TfL) has developed a Safety Performance Index for the bus network which is now published on its website. This takes a much more holistic look at how safety is managed. It includes areas such as driver quality, compliance and engineering failures while also tracking overall numbers of incidents, including minor and hospitalised injuries, and fatalities. Separately, any fatality on the network will be thoroughly investigated to find the causes and look for opportunities to prevent it happening again, with the outcomes then shared with all of the London operators so they can learn from the circumstances.
TfL’s Bus Safety Programme is continuously driving major safety improvements across the network. Over 800 buses have now been fitted with Intelligent Speed Assistance and from August 2019 this is a requirement on all new buses. Many other measures to help London reduce fatalities and serious injuries, such as making quiet-running buses more obvious to vulnerable road users, broader vision side mirrors, anti-slip floors and extra dashboard safeguards to help avoid unintended acceleration, will start coming into effect on new buses this year, and will help us progressively move towards our target of eliminating anyone being killed on or by a bus by 2030.

Facial recognition and private companies (1)

Sian Berry: On 17 June 2019, The Times ran an article titled "Ministers must act over ‘explosion’ of spy technology, says watchdog," in which the Surveillance Camera Commissioner criticised work by Greater Manchester Police that involved the use of facial recognition data captured by the owners of the city’s Trafford shopping centre on 18 million shoppers. Has the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) worked with any retailers or private sector organisations in this way either to monitor or plan to monitor Londoner's facial data outside the MPS's own trials?

The Mayor: The MPS’s use of Live Facial Recognition technology was limited to the 10 trial deployments. This trial has now come to an end.
The MPS has not worked with any retailers or private sector organisations who use Live Facial Recognition, neither do we have any current plans to do so.
In its recent report, the London Policing Ethics Panel concluded that there is a need for the police to build and maintain the public’s trust in their use of new technologies and sets out recommendations and conditions to help achieve this and that MOPAC and the MPS should lobby Government to strengthen regulation of new technology. We will continue to work closely with the Met and ensure the panel’s recommendations are addressed before further deployment.

Fare Evasion

Caroline Pidgeon: A constituent has requested that you answer this question. Fare evasion seems to be getting worse on the London Underground and by the time revenue inspectors catch up with offenders, the penalty of £80, or £40 if paid within 14 days, is well worth the risk to them. However, carrying an open container of alcohol on the Underground has a maximum penalty of £1,000, albeit never enforced. Would you consider raising the penalty fare to create a much stronger deterrent for fare evaders?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/14254.

Roads and Transport Policing Command

Peter Whittle: To ask the Mayor how many road traffic offences were passed to the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecution by RTPC in each of the last three calendar years?

The Mayor: This data relates to Traffic Offence Reports issued by RTPC officers that have been referred for prosecution.
These offences are specified and as such will be police led prosecutions at the first hearing. CPS will only assume responsibility at the point a “Not Guilty” pleas is entered.
The data only relates to traffic stop offences; there will be other RTPC prosecutions following their work on the killed and serious/ life changing collisions. This data will be sourced from NSPIS.

RTPC Officer Issued Offences Sent for Potential Prosecution: CY 2016 – 20,379
CY 2017 – 23,047
CY 2018 – 23,706

Training Metropolitan Police officers on coercive control and stalking

Joanne McCartney: What training do Metropolitan Police Officers receive on coercive control and stalking? How many reports of coercive control and stalking/harassment have been made to the Metropolitan Police Service since 2015? How many charges and prosecutions have been brought?

The Mayor: Mandatory training was provided to over 18,500 police officers on coercive control in 2015 following the introduction of the Coercive and Controlling Behaviour legislation. The training took the form of Professional Development Days and supported by an NCALT e-learning package. Within the foundation course during recruit training, stalking and harassment is addressed in both a non-domestic abuse and domestic abuse (DA) context, and coercive and controlling behaviour as part of the domestic abuse syllabus. Probationary constables also attend several week-long interactive HYDRA learning sessions, one of which focusses on DA, covering both stalking and harassment, and coercive and controlling behaviour scenarios.
MASIP (Multi Agency Stalking Intervention Project), also informs the Metropolitan Police Service of learning and best practice to test out intervention programmes and improve responses to stalking perpetrators. It supports closer partnership working and information sharing in responding to stalking.
There have been 1890 cases of controlling or coercive behaviour, 76177 cases of harassment and 4321 cases of stalking There have been 14 charges and 110 prosecutions of controlling and coercive behaviour, 85 charges and 7381 prosecutions of harassment and 83 charges and 649 prosecutions of stalking from 2015.

Investigation of Aggravated and Motivated Hate Crime

Unmesh Desai: My understanding is that aggravated hate crimes are dealt with by response officers and non- aggravated hate crimes/ motivated hate crimes will be investigated by officers working in Basic Command Unit Safeguarding Teams. Can you confirm that this is correct and provide some background about the different investigative processes for investigating hate crimes?

The Mayor: It is correct that the Basic Command Unit Safeguarding Teams investigate motivated hate crime and that response officers investigate aggravated hate crime.
The MPS hate crime policy applies to all investigations of hate crime, and within this policy, officers are expected to provide a bespoke response according to the circumstances of the crime and the victim’s needs. This includes carrying out a detailed risk assessment of the victim/s to assess the impact of the crime on the victim, the likelihood of them being victimised again and whether they have been victimised previously, and the ongoing risk they face. A victim impact statement will be taken also.
This is especially important in cases of hate crime since we know repeat and escalating victimisation is often a feature of these cases.

Taser use 2016-2018

Sian Berry: How many times did Metropolitan Police Service officers discharge Tasers in each year from 2016 to 2018? Could you break this total down further by: a) the number of discharges per year captured on Body Worn Video (BWV), and b) the number of discharges per year carried out by officers working on their own?

The Mayor: During 2016 a Taser was discharged 261 times by an MPS officer. The figure was 384 times during 2017 and 601 times in 2018.
During these years the number of Taser Officers has increased form 4,010 in 2016 to 5,600 in 2018, which goes some way to show the increase in Taser discharge.
All uniformed officers in the MPS are equipped with BWV (Body Worn Video)and there is a requirement that they must turn on BWV when using Taser or any other use of force. Whilst each officer using Taser would make a record of the fact that BWV was (or was not) used, the MPS does not gather the data in a retrievable form on how many discharges each year were captured on BWV.
A new, more effective use-of-force monitoring process began in April 2017 so the data relating to officers using Taser whilst on their own is only available from that date.
Between April 2017 and December 2017, Taser was discharged 8 times by an officer working on their own.In 2018 it was 24 times.

Number of Police Recorded Indecent Images of Children

Unmesh Desai: How many incidents involving indecent images of children (IIOC) were recorded by the Metropolitan Police Service in the 2018/19 financial year and each of the four years before that?

The Mayor: Please see below the requested data for the period specified. The live data for this report was extracted from CRIS MIS on 12/06/2019. The Home Office Classifications used to collate this data were:
1) Take or to make indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs, of children; and,
2) Possession of an indecent or pseudo-photograph of a child.
The MPS have attributed the increase in recorded incidents of IIOC - during the last 4 years - to several factors. Namely, better recording of offences, advances in technology and understanding by Law Enforcement agencies enabling better intelligence processes, to identify and arrest offenders. The internet enabling offenders easier access to IIOC, and increased referrals from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
In recognition of the growing threat to children and young people, the Mayor has allocated additional funding to enhance the risk-based approach, enabling the MPS to stop and prevent more predatory offenders and to protect London’s children and young people in a more effective way.

Special constables 5

Keith Prince: For each of the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, how many hours of policing were provided by special constables?

The Mayor: Due to a change in the shift booking system, it is not possible to provide historical hours before 2018.
However, in 2018 special constables provided 445,191hrs of policing time.

Police Officers lost since 2010 in Barking and Dagenham

Unmesh Desai: How many police officers has the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham lost since 2010?

The Mayor: Please see Mayor's Question 2019/14504.

Capco (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Following the Sunday Times business section report on the 7th July 2019 titled ‘London mayor bids for Earls Court site’ please set out when the offer by TfL was made to Capco and how this decision was reported back to TfL board members, setting out at what specific meetings TfL board members were updated.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL), via its advisors, submitted a proposal to Capco on 29 May 2019. All necessary authorities were gained before this proposal was submitted.
The proposal clearly stated that it would be subject to all necessary TfL approvals. TfL will ensure that its Board, other relevant Committees, and local stakeholders are kept informed of its progress at this important site.

Capco (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Will you ensure TfL still considers the merits of buying out the Capco shareholding in the joint venture at the Earl’s Court and West Kensington Opportunity Area?

The Mayor: We have inherited a wholly unsatisfactory situation at Earls Court, and I am extremely frustrated with the lack of progress on this important site.
Transport for London (TfL) put forward a proposal that focussed on the acquisition of Earls Court Partnership Ltd (ECPL) land within Hammersmith and Fulham (primarily the former Earls Court 2) with the condition that Capco would return its interests in the West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates, including the school, to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
This proposal would have enabled development, with higher levels of affordable housing, to quickly progress while also representing good value for Capco’s shareholders. Unfortunately, TfL’s proposal was not accepted and TfL is reviewing next steps.

Afterheels Trial Contract

Andrew Boff: When was the contract between Afterheels and the GLA signed? What is the value of the contract and what is the purpose of it?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) signed a contract with Shoomaker Ltd in January 2019, to supply two Afterheels vending machines on the TfL network. TfL has been working with Shoomaker Ltd since then to identify suitable locations for the new vending machines and these will be rolled out later this year. This trial is part of TfL’s drive to improve its retail estate and generate further revenue.
The exact value of the contract is commercially confidential, however the value range is published on TfL’s website: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/tfl-contracts-greater-than-5k.pdf

Patrol Plus Scheme

Susan Hall: In relation to Question 2019/8985. Please answer properly and don’t confuse income with profit and loss. This was a buy one get one free scheme, I want to know the total amount that local authorities paid for the ‘buy one’ aspect of the scheme?

The Mayor: At the end of March 2019, there were approximately 330 officers on the Met Patrol Scheme. The annualised grants from local authorities were approximately £11million.

Boosting employment into top policing and crime professions for all Londoners

Unmesh Desai: The Elitist Britain 2019 study found that chief constables and police and crime commissioners are more than three times more likely to have attended independent schools. (https://www.policeprofessional.com/news/police-leaders-three-times-as-likely-to-be-privately-educated-than-the-public/). How are you ensuring that the top jobs in policing and community safety are open to Londoners of all backgrounds?

The Mayor: As Mayor of LondonI am committed to increasing opportunity for all Londoners to achieve the best they can whatever their background or education.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) remains focussed on recruiting, retaining and developing a representative workforce. The MPS ensures that senior positions are accessible in a number of ways, including:

Sandilands Incident Review Board - Approval of TfL Documents submitted to Croydon Tram Crash Investigators

Keith Prince: Further to your response to Question 2019/6384, did the Sandilands Incident Review Board review, edit or approve any documents ahead of their submission by TfL to the RAIB, SNC Lavalin, ORR or British Transport Police investigations of the Croydon Tram Crash? If so, which documents did it approve and on which dates were these documents approved and/or submitted?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/12314.

Highway Code and legislation changes discussed with Department for Transport

Caroline Russell: The London Assembly Transport Committee report, Hostile Streets, in December 2017, called on Transport for London (TfL) to be proactive in asking for changes to the Highway Code and other legislation that could help people walking and cycling in London. Further to the details published a year ago in the TfL Vision Zero action plan, what requests have you made to the Department for Transport, what meetings have you had with them and what progress has been made?

The Mayor: I am committed to eradicating deaths and serious injuries from our roads and delivering Vision Zero for London. In June this year my Walking and Cycling Commissioner joined other cities in calling on Government to enact a number of significant changes that would empower local authorities to better protect people walking and cycling. He and TfL officials met with Jessie Norman in April 2019 and Michael Ellis in June 2019 to discuss Vision Zero.
I am pleased that the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced its intention to review the Highway Code and is engaging with local authorities to inform the changes. Transport for London (TfL) is fully supportive of the review, which was suggested in the Vision Zero action plan last year. TfL is working with the DfT and other stakeholders on updating the Highway Code to better protect people walking and cycling.
TfL is also urging Government to legislate on decriminalising mandatory cycle line and Advanced Stop Line infringements, as well as improving licensing for people riding motorcycles.

Sexual assaults on the underground

Susan Hall: Breaking the data down by year since 2015/16 and by Tube line, please provide a monthly breakdown number of sexual assaults reported on the Underground.
Further to this, please provide a breakdown of the number of crimes committed on the Night Tube, by crime type and month for the same time period.

The Mayor: The attached spreadsheet shows a breakdown by month of the number of sexual offences and Night Tube crimes per year, between 2015/16 and 2018/19.
London Underground remains a safe, low crime network, with very few people ever witnessing or experiencing crime. Transport for London (TfL) is committed to improving the safety of public transport and tackling unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport, and has been working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service and the British Transport Police (BTP) through Project Guardian and the ‘Report it to Stop it’ campaign to encourage reporting, strengthen enforcement and bring offenders to justice. Dedicated BTP resource is also deployed at key stations during Night Tube, to keep passengers and staff safe and secure.

Guidance for police officers in schools and knife images

Sian Berry: Further to our discussion on 21 December 2017 following my question 2017/5309, could you provide copies of the current guidance given to police officers and PCSOs who visit schools on suitable content for presentations, including imagery related to knife crime?

The Mayor: The guidance is currently being reviewed by Met colleagues. I have asked that a copy is shared with you once the review has been completed.

Police officers carrying knives on duty

Sian Berry: Following the recent misconduct case relating to an incident in September 2016 where an officer used a knife on a car windscreen, what action is being taken by the Metropolitan Police Service to prevent officers carrying their own knives while on duty?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is clear that officers must only use personal protective equipment that is issued by the service.
It is acknowledged, however, that Police officers do carry other lawful items which assist them in their duties. This includes torches, water bottles and multi-tools, for example. Specifically, for the latter item, the use of multi-tools has already saved lives by cutting ligatures where people are sadly attempting to commit suicide, or bandages whilst administering first aid. To that end, the MPS will not ask officers to stop using these items, howeverthey will be expected to explain and as appropriate held to account for their usage.

Met CCTV

Susan Hall: Please provide the number of Met owned CCTV cameras in 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 by borough

The Mayor: Based on current records, the MPS currently owns 305 CCTV cameras which cover public spaces. This does not include those on police premises or custody. Neither does it include Local Authority CCTV.
We only have the data for MPS owned CCTV cameras for 2019.
We are not able to break this data down by Borough because to do so might enable criminals to identify the overall level of CCTV in a specific area. This may assist criminal decision making and could adversely affect public safety.

Independent evaluation report on live facial recognition trials (1)

Sian Berry: On 3 July 2019 the independent evaluation of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) live facial recognition trials was published. The authors, from the University of Essex Human Rights Centre, identified significant flaws in MPS procedures, practices and human rights compliance, and the report says that it is “highly possible” that its use to date would be held unlawful if challenged in court. Will the MPS now cease all deployment of live facial recognition technology until both a national legal framework is in place and the five ethical conditions from the London Policing Ethics Panel are met?

The Mayor: The Met’s trial use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) has come to an end. The Met took legal advice throughout the trial period and maintains that it had a legal basis for the use of LFR during the trial.
In its recent report, the London Policing Ethics Panel concluded that there is a need for the police to build and maintain the public’s trust in their use of new technologies and sets out recommendations and conditions to help achieve this and that MOPAC and the MPS should lobby Government to strengthen regulation of new technology. We will continue to work closely with the Met and ensure the panel’s recommendations are addressed before further deployment.

Community cohesion and trust in the police

Onkar Sahota: How do Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime and the Metropolitan Police Service work use communication channels with residents (such as social media websites) to build community cohesion and develop trust in police officers?

The Mayor: Ensuring that the police are approachable and active in relevant conversations online, on the issues that matter most to communities, provides an opportunity for positive engagement and experience of policing. This helps to ensure the public feel informed, which we know is a positive driver of confidence in the police.
The MPS has an established and prominent presence across all major social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. The use of these platforms by officers to engage with Londoners has significantly increased over recent years, and all Ward policing teams actively use Twitter and Facebook on a regular basis.
In addition to location based social media accounts, there are active accounts focussed on specific interests, e.g. faith groups, university students and Turkish and Polish speaking communities. Officers are encouraged to proactively interact with the local community via social media: showcasing their work, engaging in relevant conversations and offering insights into local priorities and what action the police are taking. MOPAC supports the MPS in its endeavours and where appropriate will re-tweet and disseminates key messages.

Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime and Metropolitan Police Service communication channels with residents

Onkar Sahota: How do Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime and the Metropolitan Police Service work use communication channels with residents (such as social media websites) to gather intelligence?

The Mayor: The MPS does not regularly monitor community or resident-focussed communications channels, such as social media accounts, for intelligence purposes. They are often closed, which prevents viewing in the first place. Any sustained monitoring of an open account for intelligence purposes would likely require a directed surveillance authority and would be conducted by suitably trained officers and usually as part of a specific investigation. Intelligence arising from community groups would normally be fed directly into a Safer Neighbourhood Team by residents, which would then be placed onto the MPS intelligence system. MOPAC has no role in gathering intelligence from social media.

Camden – Tottenham Hale cycle route (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: Is the proposed reduction of Metropolitan Open Land in Finsbury Park as part of the Camden to Tottenham Hale cycle route in conflict with your policy of making London a National Park City?

The Mayor: The plans that we are developing for a new cycle route between Tottenham and Camden, via Finsbury Park, do not intend to reduce any Metropolitan Open Land in Finsbury Park. The design of the route along the border of Finsbury Park is still under discussion with Haringey Council and key stakeholders. As part of the design process, we are seeking to increase the total amount of green space within the park.